White Hole
by Oroko
Summary: “Tell me, Mr. Phoenix...Do you truly believe that you're the only person who has ever lost someone you loved?”


_Takes place during Turn 97._

* * *

"Thank you for your time, President Pegasus," said Sameshima, bowing formally. "I'm sorry to trouble you on such short notice." 

Pegasus smiled good-naturedly. "No trouble at all, my good man. It was wonderful to see you, besides," he replied airily, then, after a moment of thought, added, "the seriousness of this situation aside, I suppose." Sameshima chuckled half-heartedly.

"Yes, of course. I'll be on my way, then."

"Ah—just a moment, Mr. Sameshima. I have a favor to ask."

The principal looked over his shoulder at him as he stood from his sofa and approached him.

"Please allow me to accompany you back to the island," said Pegasus, suddenly serious. "There's…something I'd like to do."

* * *

"Saiou!" 

Ed struggled furiously against the hold the whitewashed boys had on him, but to no avail.

"Saiou!" he cried. "Saiou! Let go of me, I need to see Saiou!"

"Get out!" one of the flunkies snapped. "Saiou-sama will have nothing to do with you, you cur!"

"_Saiou!_" Ed screamed. The boys dragged him to the door, viciously shoving him to the cold ground. He scampered to his feet in a hurried attempt to re-enter, but the large doors were slammed in his face and instantly locked. His fist collided with the wood.

"Saiou!" he screamed again, but received no answer. "Answer me, Saiou! Tell me the truth about the Ultimate D card!" He banged on the door again, with force enough to draw blood from his fist.

"Saiou! _SAIOU!_"

Nothing. Gasping for air, Ed hopelessly sank to his knees and rested his forehead against the doorframe.

"Saiou, you bastard," he muttered, his voice shuddering with the tears of frustration that threatened to fall. "Tell me the truth."

"Locked out, are we?"

Ed jumped, startled. He turned his head towards the newcomer: he was a tall man with well-kept silver hair and a clean-looking suit, elegantly poised. The man smiled at him. Ed blinked.

"You're…Pegasus J. Crawford," he mumbled, more to himself than anyone. Pegasus spread his arms dramatically. "The one and only," he confirmed. "Come with me, Edo-boy. It's a cold night, and from the lightning I suspect it might rain soon. You don't want to be out here." He turned gracefully and drifted away from the White Dormitory, gesturing for Ed to follow. Mindlessly, Ed obeyed.

* * *

A soft, liquid sound filled the silent room as Pegasus poured himself a glass of wine. "Would you like some, Edo-boy?" he asked kindly, looking towards the door where Ed stood. 

"I'm a minor," he replied bluntly, eyeing Pegasus skeptically. Pegasus shrugged, carrying his glass to the sofa and haphazardly plopping down. "Suit yourself." He motioned towards the adjacent couch.

"Have a seat, won't you?" Ed complied.

"You look tired," Pegasus noticed. "Long night?"

"You could say that."

He elegantly sipped his wine, then cast his eyes back towards Ed.

"I understand," he said coolly, "That you've been looking for one who carries an 'Ultimate D' card. Correct?"

Ed frowned. "What of it?"

"I think you should know," said Pegasus seriously, "just how dangerous it is, that card."

"I honestly don't care," Ed replied.

"Oh? If not for it's power, then why are you looking for it, might I ask?"

"I have my reasons."

"Is that so…?" He leaned back into the sofa, sipping at his wine again.

"Tell me, Edo-boy, do you know what a white hole is?"

Ed looked at him strangely, perplexed by the sudden change in conversation.

"I've…heard of it. It's just some sort of science fiction story, isn't it?" Pegasus laughed.

"Hardly. They're quite real. Granted, what they emit could easily seem rather fictitious."

"And what's that?" Ed asked without really caring.

"Light," Pegasus replied simply. "A very unusual sort of light. Ironically, this 'light' is sometimes referred to as the 'darkness' in the human heart."

"Darkness in the heart…?" Ed repeated, sounding cynical. Pegasus paused for long enough to inhale deeply.

"You don't want to get involved with the Ultimate D card," he said, suddenly serious again. "You have no idea how dangerous it is."

Ed sneered. "I think I'll take my chances."

Sighing, Pegasus set down his wine glass on the coffee table.

"I was told that your father passed away when you were very young," he said. Ed twitched.

"Please don't say it so casually," said Ed, speaking softer than before. "He…was murdered."

"I see." He folded his legs. "And I suppose you want to do something about it?"

"What?"

"Revenge. Is that what you're after?"

"_That's none of your business!_" Ed cried suddenly, standing from the sofa with his fists clenched at his sides. Pegasus sat quietly, unfazed by the outburst.

"Why are you doing this, Edo-boy?" he asked. "What will revenge solve? Do you think you can bring your father back from the dead that way?"

Ed's fists tightened, trembling with fury.

"Stop what you're doing," said Pegasus firmly. "Stay away from the Ultimate D card and anyone associated with it." He closed his eyes. "I'm sure that your father wouldn't want you—"

"Shut up!" Ed shouted, no longer trying to maintain any sort of formality. "Don't you _dare_ talk like that! Acting as if you understand…He was _murdered,_ Pegasus! How can I stand by and do nothing about it?"

Pegasus didn't try to reply.

"Don't you _dare_…" Ed growled. "Don't you ever _dare_ to act like you understand my pain!"

Before he knew what had happened, the sound of a loud slap resounded throughout the room. Ed stood, wide-eyed and dumbstruck as he clutched his stinging cheek, staring at the glowering man who towered over him.

"Tell me, Mr. Phoenix," said Pegasus in an uncharacteristically low voice. "Do you truly believe that you're the only person who has ever lost someone you loved?"

Unable to answer, Ed meekly sank back into the couch.

"When I was very young, my lover died," said Pegasus, his tone still low. "Losing her drove me mad. I honestly thought that I could make a difference to her, even after her death…and I did some foolish things."

His hand drifted to his face, and his fingers touched the curtain of silver hair that draped over his eye.

"Look closely, Edo-boy. This is the price I paid for my mistakes."

Slowly, he pulled his hair back from his face, tucking it neatly behind his ear. Ed gasped, and instantly found himself fighting back the urge to vomit. Where his left eye should have been, there was nothing. Only an empty, gaping black hole, boring straight into the depths of a madman's mind.

It was disgusting.

Ed fidgeted uncomfortably, and Pegasus let his hair fall back over his darkest secret, shrouding it behind a curtain once more. For a long moment, neither of the room's inhabitants spoke. Pegasus resumed his seat, lifting his wine glass from the coffee table and sipping it again.

"I'm…still going to fight." Ed's voice was meek, barely-audible. Pegasus looked at him.

"I don't care if I end up in pieces," he said. "If I die, then so be it. But I won't just do nothing. My father was…" his voice trailed off.

Pegasus sighed. "You should get some sleep," he said. "There's an important duel on television tomorrow, I believe."

Ed stood wordlessly and made for the door, and without so much as a good-bye, he disappeared. Pegasus slumped back into the couch, his legs spread, no longer bothering to maintain his usually elegant posture.

"I guess he's going to have to learn the hard way," he muttered, watching the blood-like liquid dance about in his glass as he gently twirled it between his fingers. With a half-hearted laugh, another thought crossed his mind:

"If only Yuugi-boy were here."

In a single fierce gulp, he polished off the rest of the wine.

_Fin._


End file.
